Texas Father Shot In Head While Driving, Minor Children Steer Car To Safety

A 29-year-old Texas father driving with his two sons on Interstate 10 was fatally shot in the head. The minor children were able to steer the car off the freeway to safety.

On Friday, around 10:40 p.m. the victim and his two children, aged 6 and 8, were driving east on the main lanes of the freeway, when the boys heard a loud noise. They saw their father slump over the steering wheel after the noise, said police.

In a bid to prevent a crash, the two children took hold of the wheel and drove the SUV off the main lanes to a strip mall parking lot. After stopping, one of the children ran out of the car to seek help for their father. A woman, who was exiting a nearby Chili’s saw the boys and called 911, reported KHOU.

The father was shot in the head and declared dead on the scene. The children were unharmed, Houston Police Department (HPD) Public Information Officer John Cannon told CNN.

Police applauded the children’s quick thinking and getting the car off the busy road, which may have prevented further accidents.

“We don’t know if it was road rage or if it was someone actually trying to get these individuals,” Lt. R. Willkens with the Houston Police Department told KHOU. “So, prayers for their family. The kids are safe right now.”

Police are actively searching for the shooter no description of whom has been revealed yet. However, HPD is looking for a “white passenger vehicle,” reported CNN. The motive behind the incident is unknown.

According to Cannon, investigators are reviewing video footage from the freeway cameras and looking for witnesses near the scene of the crime. Anyone with any information about the I-10 shooting should reach out to Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Last week, a Texan woman returning from work was shot 50 times by an unknown assailant as she pulled into her driveway. She died on the spot. Police are still trying to determine if the woman was the intended victim of the crime.